(And considering reviews I’ve read of the sequels books, I don’t think Butler’s message is particularly inspiring as to the state of humanity.)Īnother gender-related issue that Butler touches on is the contrast between the “feminine” and the “masculine” that’s symbolized and enacted by Anyanwu and Doro. Granted, this is the first installment of a multi-volume series, but Anyanwu’s character arc does not fill me with optimism.

The conclusion of the novel leaves Anyanwu perhaps slightly better off that she was, but she is still under the dominion of Doro and has little to no agency. The subject is relevant and worthwhile (especially in conjunction with the abuses black women faced under slavery), but in the novel it’s especially difficult to stomach, considering the lack of positive resolution from Butler. Anywanwu herself is given to several men, and so is her legal husband, Isaac. They do not question, but mate with whomever they’re told, even siblings or parents. Under Doro’s rule, people are like livestock used to bring out the best bloodlines and abilities. The control over and exploitation of Anyanwu’s body in Wild Seed was relentless and destructive. To regain control over her life and her body, she must destroy herself. Yet from my perspective, this power struggle is not ultimately explored in a hopeful manner, as Butler reinforces again and again that the only true choices Anyanwu has are to submit to Doro or to committ suicide and thus escape him. Clearly, then, rebellion/struggle against patriarchal dominance is explored in Anyanwu’s story (though this perhaps oversimplifies a centuries’ long relationship).

Anyanwu is pitted against this man (or rather, being), but as the text proves time and time against, against his institutionalized power she can do little, for he has reserved all privileges in his favor. Stripped of the portrayal of psionic abilities (which are interesting, but not relevant to my discussion), Wild Seed features on one side Doro, a narcissistic godlike figure who gathers hand-picked individuals into colonies in order to breed and/or murder them for personal gain and entertainment. This is a novel in a class all its own.Īs stated above, eugenics and patriarchy are central themes in the book I’m going to discuss them in relation to the experiences of Anyanwu, the female protagonist. Butler has gone on record to reject applying labels to her work, and after reading Wild Seed, this seems only right. Butler is, of course, a magnificent author and it’s only to her credit that she’s written such a complex, ambiguous narrative. It’s hard to discuss and even harder to digest. It’s a wearisome, and often hopeless, text. It is also a story about a woman and her conflict with an amoral mass-murderer.

At its core, Wild Seed seems to be a novel about a patriarchal society’s eugenics program.

Wild seed by octavia e butler